Let’s make sure your event goes smoothly – and makes as much money as possible!

Here’s my list of the Seven Deadly Sins of Fundraising Events. Let’s be sure YOU and your team avoid these awful fundraising event mistakes:

1. The auctioneer blows your “Fund a Need” appeal.

Alas!

You build up to a magnificent Fund a Need appeal. Everybody is primed and ready to go.

But your auctioneer blows it. How? Because your auctioneer makes it all about the money.

The auctioneer doesn’t know how to “romance” your mission. So the auctioneer’s up there saying:

“Who’ll give $250? Who wants to do $200? Who’ll give $150?”

And not a WORD about the work that these gifts will fund.

What happens? Lame audience response.

INSTEAD– the auctioneer can connect the money to the cause and your impact in the world.

They can say:

“Who wants to help these kids? Who wants to make a $250 gift to help feed a hungry child? Who wants to make a $200 gift to help cure a disease? Who wants to give $100 to support creativity in our community?”

How to fix this fundraising event mistake?

Give your auctioneer talking points – OR get up there and say those things yourself.

OR hire a professional charity auctioneer who knows how to get the MOST out of a Fund a Need.

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Testimonials

Gail Perry is in-fact a non-profit missionary with a message that can save great organizations by helping them bring committed and passionate donors to their cause

Kim LopezBoard MemberInsight Meditation CenterWashington, DC

Thank you for your witty insights, encouraging prods, and helpful tips! They always make me smile and want to dig back into my prospect pool with new vigor!

Lane CrossChi Omega Foundation

Thank you for the extraordinary training session you conducted for the Museum this past Saturday. It was informative, thought-provoking and fun. In these challenging times, where resources are scarce, an organization would be wise to use some of those resources engaging your firm.

David H Pottenger IIIBoard ChairmanNC Museum of Life and Science

Love your blog and ideas. They inspire, remind and provide ideas that I use all the time. Your MPI suggestion is a nice was to remember what seems to me one of the very basic parts of what we do. Thanks for the impact you have had on my career.

Eric Billman

Thank you for helping us move closer to realizing the vision we have for our Museum You were extremely well prepared for our particular needs. You kept the meeting light and fun, and yet were able to convey an important message.

David H Pottenger IIIBoard ChairmanNC Museum of Life and Science

I love your cultivation strategy of advice visits. I’ve been having a great time contacting various business leaders asking for their coaching/opinion on making the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Red Cross a success. My approach is to briefly outline what the Red Cross does in our community , and ask what successful practices they have seen on the charitable boards they serve on. The response has been great. They are interested and want to have on-going dialogue. Thanks again, Gail!

Karen MildenhallManaging DirectorMarsh, Inc.

I have never seen this group be more engaged and excited about fund raising- and believing we will be successful! We sure are on FIRE here!

Thank you for good usable information and for helping us stretch to find our own way.

Zanne BakerBoard MemberPenland School

I absolutely loved the workshop. I also thought that the honesty of the Board was excellent.

Board Member, The Pine SchoolThe Pine SchoolHobe Sound, FL

I really like the way you involve your audience in the discussion with numerous exercises and activities. That really helps people immerse themselves in the topics and creates important buy-in to the subjects discussed.

Jeff WellerBoard ChairRonald McDonald house of the Rio Grande Valley

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Gail Perry inspires nonprofits around the world with cutting-edge fundraising strategies and new tools to make fundraising more successful and more fun. Find smart strategies to help you raise tons of money at Fired-Up Fundraising.com.